


code: realize isekai

by pastelwars



Category: Code:Realize ～創世の姫君～ | Code: Realize - Guardian of Rebirth (Visual Novel)
Genre: Other, self insert babey :)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-21
Updated: 2020-06-11
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:07:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 10,452
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23237416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pastelwars/pseuds/pastelwars
Summary: completely self indulgent and embarrassing but whotever. i do what i want. if i can die and be reincarnated into cardia in the code: realize universe, i will .
Comments: 1
Kudos: 7





	1. i. wish; arsène lupin

Lupin had no idea what the moon was like tonight. He didn't pay attention to it earlier, hadn't been tracking the phases, and now, clouds were constantly covering the beauty as his mask fell into its usual place on his face. Impey might know, but it wasn't the time to ponder the moon's figure as the Royal Guard came towards a rundown mansion in the middle of nowhere in Wales. Every one of his traps—like his bombs, for example—were all in place, all ready to throw the Guard off their balance and make it easier for Lupin to take his treasure of tonight.  
  
He didn't know exactly what it was, the main thing the documents said was that it was a monster with poisonous skin that could melt anything it came into contact to. A monster with a gem called the Horologium embedded into its body. Scary, and definitely something unknown and dangerous.   
  
And then there was the side thing, that the monster was actually the famous and missing scientist Isaac Beckford's daughter. A lovely young lady who might've been a monster? Lupin definitely thought it was... weird, to say the least, but either way, he had to take this Horologium barrier and get it on his side.  
  
A couple minutes later, the cars of the British Royal Guard go onto a dirt road, and almost immediately Lupin's eyes are drawn to the only person who's out of place—a girl sitting in between two soldiers. Her dress is complex, a beautiful mix of an off white and brown. Long brown hair cascaded over her shoulders and down her back, her hands in gloves folded over one another in her lap. He can't see her face from where he is, but he knows one thing already—she's obviously not supposed to be in such a lowly place like that. Lupin sucks in a breath, and sets off one of the bombs.  
  
Immediately the car in front is overturned, and in defense, the soldiers get out with their guns at the ready. The leader of the Guard, Lupin knows him to be, yells out in anger. Rempart Leonhardt, the captain and even a guard in close proximity to the Queen of Britain herself, is serious to a fault and, honestly, easy to trick and play around with.   
  
"Whoever you are, know that you have just attacked the finest soldiers in Britain!"  
  
"I know exactly who you are!" Lupin has to keep himself from laughing aloud, but anyone who didn't know who these guys are, are either not from Britain, or just plain dumb. He looks from Leonhardt to the girl sitting down, and amongst the smoke and soldiers shouting in confusion, she's still looking down at her lap, almost uninterested in the whole ordeal. Even as one soldier points in his direction, she doesn't look up.  
  
"Fantastic work, gentlemen! Her Majesty must be proud that her honorable Royal Guard have come all this way to carry out a kidnapping!"  
  
"How dare you impugn our name! Who are you!?"  
  
"The name is Arsène Lupin!" The clouds surrounding the moon—a beautiful, bright full moon—finally part, and light shines down on him from where he's standing on top of some ruins. The forefinger and thumb of his right hand grabs the tip of his top hat, and holds it up slightly, making sure that everyone can see his mask and his smug smirk. "No need to be shocked, sirs, I am merely your average dashing gentleman thief!"  
  
"A thief? You lowlife scum, what do you want from us?!"  
  
"Wait a tick. I've heard of this man. Some sort of burglar who works in Paris."  
  
"I am impressed! You're quite right. My presence here is quite an honor. You lucky gentlemen will witness my handiwork with your own eyes. What's more..." Lupin's gaze softens as it turns to the girl, and while she does not move, he can somehow tell that she's aware of his stare. "Madamoiselle, can you hear me?"  
  
The girl finally lifts her head up, and Lupin has his golden eyes meet with her dark, blank, blue eyes. It's almost as if he's looking into a deep ocean, a bottomless abyss going on for only God knows. Her eyebrows are furrowed ever so slightly, and a small frown is on her face. Other than that, her expression is blank, staring up at him silently.   
  
"I do have a confession to make. My purpose for being out here on this night...is _you_ , dear lady. I have come to take you away." She doesn't change her expression, nor make any other sort of reaction. It's somewhat of a new, kind of hurtful feeling Lupin gets in his chest after seeing it, but he doesn't give up, doesn't falter. "Now, don't you fret, madamoiselle! I am here to rescue you from the hands of these dogs, and with great style! Watch!"  
  
"You impudent cur! For a lowly robber to stand before the prestigious British Royal Guard is inexcusable! All of you, capture this man!"  
  
"Yes, sir! Everyone, prepare to fire!"  
  
"Right! Take aim! ...Wait, no!"  
  
"Fire!"   
  
Leonhardt's voice is drowned out by the soldier's command, and at once, all of their bullets come flying towards Lupin, hitting him in his chest and abdomen. Lupin lets out a scream, and falls backwards, off the ruin and into the darkness below. His right hand manages to catch one of the more steady bricks, before he can fall to the ground completely.  
  
"You cads... you... you've gone and done it," The voice that comes up his throat and out of his mouth is strained, and a little pained. Blood splatters where Lupin was standing, making the bricks of the ruins a little slippery, and a very dark red. "You've ended my brilliant life... Cut short... too soon...  
  
"Aha.... ahaha...!" Lupin's voice trails off, but comes back with a howling laughter as he pulls himself back up on top of the ruins with ease. The situation was just so funny—too funny, in fact—and he can't hold back anymore. His laughter is then overshadowed by a much louder noise, that of a flash bomb. From the soldiers are, it looks like Lupin's body explodes with a loud bang, and then disappears as smoke covers their area as Lupin sets off the rest of his bombs.  
  
The soldiers cry out in confusion, not being able to help their fear and panic of what might happen next. Lupin quickly jumps down from the ruins, mixing in and weaving between the soldiers before they have a chance to collect themselves. He finds the girl as fast as he can, coming up in front of her before anyone can realize. Even as he comes into her line of sight, she does not seem surprised, or scared.  
  
"Good evening, madamoiselle," He whispers to her, quietly, a line for her ears only. "Take my hand. Shall we make our great escape into the night?"  
  
For a moment, she does not move. Her eyes look to his outstretched hand, and merely stares at it. She looks at his face, next, and for the first time, Lupin sees some emotion in her eyes. A small amount of anxiousness, but more importantly, hope. Lupin's lips naturally curl up into a soft, gentle smile, and once more her eyes drop to his hand. It suddenly gets warmer, as the girl places her own hand on his.   
  
For some reason, the rest of his heist goes by in a blur, as the memory of Lupin impersonating Leonhardt to confuse every around him is replaced by the warmth of the girl that's called a monster. Not only is her hand warm, but so is the rest of her body as he picks her up and runs away to a spot away from the Guard. Lupin gently places her on the grass, the headlights of the Guard's cars already far in the past at this point.   
  
"All right, we should be safe here." The girl's eyes have returned back to their blank state, and Lupin's hand lingers on her arm, just to make sure that she's okay. She doesn't shy away from the touch, instead looking up to see the stars. The mood is now completely calm, and quiet, and serene as the bright stars and the full moon in all her glory shine down. Lupin steps back just a bit, and bows.   
  
"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Arsène Lupin. For reasons I cannot disclose, madamoiselle, I have come to steal your heart." She doesn't make any reaction, and already, Lupin is used to it. "But I won't take it for free. In exchange for your heart, I shall grant you one wish. This humble thief promises you in all sincerity, that he will grant you a single wish."  
  
"...ve m..." A small, quiet whisper gets carried away by the wind. Lupin can see more emotion pop up once more, but not one of excitement, or more hope. Sadness. The girl's lips frown ever so slightly, and she looks down. He can't quite make out what she said, and waits to see if she says anything more, patiently. She inhales, slowly, and exhales. Slowly, she turns her head up to meet his gaze, whispering a little bit louder this time. "Save me."


	2. i.i extra; arsène lupin

The sun was weirdly bright; or maybe it could've just been him. It was about, what, 8 in the morning? And yet the sun was already up and shedding light on Lupin's face. The girl he had picked up just last night was still sleeping, seemingly tired out from last night's events. Lupin sat in front of her, guarding her from the bright rays, only if to let her have even a second more of sleep.   
  
The red blanket beneath them was only until Impey had come to pick them up, but it seemed that self-proclaimed genius was late. It was alright, Lupin supposed, they hadn't even had breakfast, yet, so he could spare a few minutes more. This morning was warm, with temperature neither too hot nor cold—a perfect day for having a walk or a picnic outside. If the situation allowed him, Lupin would be on a date out here with the girl that was still softly sleeping behind him, but if he dallied too long, the Royal Guard would catch up. They weren't competent enough to best the gentleman thief, but not stupid enough to not find him, especially if he just stayed in one place.  
  
A mumble and movement come from behind, and Lupin turns around to see the girl rubbing her eyes as they open. The light isn't in her eyes, but it seems from merely seeing how bright it is outside is making her squint. Slowly, she sits up, slouching and still listless.   
  
"Morning, young lady."  
  
He gets up in her face before she can be fully aware of her surroundings, but even as he comes into her view and she wakes up fully, she doesn't react. Lupin had intended to see something, something other than sadness or blankness on her face, but she won't be so easy to crack, it seems like. He sighs, but turns to get something from his case.   
  
"Want some breakfast?" Holding out a piece of toast with a fried egg on top, he watches as the girl reluctantly takes it. She doesn't bite into it just yet, watching it, and then watching him. "This was meant to be last night's dinner, so it's cold, but hey, anything's good if you're hungry, yeah?" He takes a bite into his own serving, savoring the delicate tastes and seasoning. It's definitely still good, Impey's cooking is the only thing Lupin would openly praise, but even after all this time, the taste still surprises him in the best way.  
  
"Mm... this is delicious!" Lupin says that, gauging the girl's reaction, and after she sees his expression of satisfaction, she finally bites into her toast. She doesn't say anything, but she nods her head slightly in approval. She takes another bite, and another, shoving the food into her mouth greedily. "Haha, I take it you like it, Cardia?"  
  
She doesn't speak, but she nods. The girl—Cardia—continues eating with fervor, until it's all gone. Any crumbs left on her face melts away, so she doesn't bother to wipe them away. She doesn't seem to be surprised that he knows her name, and as much as Lupin wonders why, he knows he won't get an answer even if he asks. At least, if it's not a yes-or-no question.   
  
"Do you know of Isaac Beckford?" Lupin tests the waters. Cardia nods, wiping the crumbs off her gloves. She doesn't elaborate. "Is he your father?" She nods once more. Well, that's good. It wouldn't be surprising for her to not know who Isaac Beckford is. But what he's specifically looking for is Isaac's daughter. And then...   
  
"Is the Horologium—an eternally beating heart—in your chest?" She doesn't nod this time, but points to her chest, so Lupin takes that as a yes. Three simple questions, but it's all he needs to know from her. Lupin stands up, as if to change the somewhat heavy mood he created, and holds out a hand to her. She takes it, standing up herself.   
  
"One more question, mademoiselle—would you be willing to honor me and accompany me on my mission?"


	3. ii. goddess; impey barbicane

Impey hums to himself as he drives down a solitary path out in the middle of nowhere.   
  
Technically, he should've been at the meeting spot 5 minutes ago, but his beloved automobile was being a bit... feisty, and 5 minutes isn't that much of a difference, so it's okay. Besides, maybe this time Lupin would be the one late, and he could have a bit of free time. Sure, Lupin was a world renowned thief, but he was going up against Britain's finest soldiers! Well, he _did_ say it'd be easier than were he to go up against Twilight, but hey, you never know.   
  
The automobile lets out puffs of smoke and makes loud noises as it goes across the dirt path road, but nonetheless it goes. The promised meeting spot shows itself in the distance, and so does two figures. One is undoubtedly Lupin, but he doesn't have a clue who the other could be. If they're with Lupin, though, they're most likely an ally—if not, he probably has them under control. Probably. There was that one time in Paris where Impey had rolled up in his car to pick up Lupin like now, but he was held at gunpoint by a robber. Well, the robber was cleaned up quite quickly, but it still definitely wasn't something Impey wanted to go through again.   
  
Before he can accidentally go past them, Impey comes to a stop in front of the duo, stepping on the brakes as the car screeches. He shouts a greeting to his partner (in crime, unfortunately), but is stopped by the girl standing next to him. She's quite the beauty, even without a blinding smile to grace her gorgeous face. She's somewhat hiding behind Lupin's back, staring up at Impey, but before he can make his introduction, his car shoots out smoke and fire.   
  
He immediately gets out of the car to dive under it, but not before trying to send his most charming wink at the girl who's now crouching, shutting her eyes tight, and covering her ears as Lupin yells at him for being a dolt again, comforting her. Impey fixes the rogue pipe, one that needed to be replaced badly but hasn't been for a lack of money, and comes out to finally greet the girl of his dreams. Another puff of smoke comes out but quickly subsides, and Impey strikes a pose in front of the automobile.   
  
"Nice to meet you, cutie! It is I, your very own prince astride a white horse!" By the time he says this, the girl is standing back up, letting out a little cough, but seeming to be alright now.   
  
"Sorry, Cardia. He's not a bad guy, but he's awfully scatter-brained."  
  
"That's 'distinguished engineer and great inventor'! And 'amazingly good-looking man who knows what's what'! Most importantly, a man who will one day land on the moon! Impey Barbicane! Ready, willing, and available! Nice to meet you!" For a second, Lupin and Cardia—as Impey now knows her name—give each other an unamused glance, but the girl turns to him and bows her head slightly.   
  
For some weird reason, Impey gets the impression that the girl doesn't think bad of his dream. Maybe his personality, but she does not seem the type to belittle him. The moon was a very far-out goal (no pun intended), and Impey was used to be laughed at because of it. But deep down, he knew that he'd reach his goal—rather, _their_ goal. It didn't matter if others didn't understand, but it definitely matters if a pretty girl does understand.   
  
He spits out more stupid pick-up lines, but Lupin hits him on the back of the head before he can go any further. Cardia climbs into the backseat of the automobile, and Lupin follows her as he settles into the passenger's seat. Impey sighs, but sits behind the wheel, turning the car on. It's... being feisty again, to say the least, but it works smoothly enough in time.  
  
"So? What's the deal with the girl, Lupin? Have you gotten tired of stealing treasures and started stealing girls, huh?" Lupin clicks his tongue at him, and for a moment he glares at Impey, but huffs and turns his eyes back on the road ahead of them.   
  
"She _is_ the treasure, dumbass. The monster I was talking about last night? It's her. Well, not like she's a monster, but it's true her flesh can melt things."  
  
"Woah, that true? Did you see it?"   
  
"...Somewhat. The crumbs from breakfast melted away pretty quickly." Impey looks back to the subject of their conversation, but it doesn't seem like she's listening, a blank look on her face as she looks out to the passing countryside.   
  
"So it seems you got her without any trouble. Was the Royal Guard really that easy to beat?"   
  
"Hah! Against the great Lupin? They had no chance." Lupin laughs and Impey sighs, a rare role reversal. Their conversation goes on as the hours pass, as the scenery doesn't change for a good couple of hours. Sure, there're a few towns here and there, but God, is the scenery green and natural in nature. 

Lupin eventually turns to the backseat to wake up a sleeping Cardia, where the bright, bustling sight of Steel London comes into view. Lupin had told Impey that she was quite listless and tame, and it's true that her expression doesn't change much even now, but as soon as she gets a glimpse of the wide and ever-growing view from the top of London, she sits up on her knees to get a better look, eyes almost glistening at the sight.   
  
She doesn't have to speak for Impey to know what she's thinking—because no matter how many times Impey sees it, he feels the same. This is a beautiful town. A fantastic city filled with the wonders of modern science. It doesn't seem like Cardia's that interested in explanation, so he refrains from doing so, but he comments on its beauty and Cardia turns back to face him and nod. He can't help but smile widely at that, at her, and Lupin yells at him to keep his eyes on the road before he gets them all into an accident.  
  
Lupin tells him to stop a minute later, and Impey does, stopping in a clearing of the forest. Lupin gets out of the car, along with one of his cloaks and his hat, before setting off down the hill to the gate of London. He's going to scout the area, he says, and leaves him and Cardia alone.   
  
Cardia's out of the car, and before he can even turn to her, she has a stick in her hand and is drawing in the mud. It's a well-drawn picture of a butterfly, and Impey picks up a stick of his own and draws a poorly-drawn stick figure of himself on the moon. His drawing of the moon is... artistic, but an actual circle is drawn right next to it, and then goggles, a braid, and a face detail it quickly. It takes him a second to realize that it's a cute drawing of himself, drawn by Cardia. He looks over to her, but she doesn't meet his gaze. Though, even from his position, he can see a slight blush on her face.   
  
Almost as if to distract him, she draws a cute drawing of Lupin and herself, too, and Impey joins in with a boyish glee, ready to draw his heart out until Lupin comes back.


	4. ii.i extra; arsène lupin

Lupin can tell from the way her hand is shaking on his arm that Cardia is nervous. He's lied his way through stuff many times, but it's not surprising for an amateur like Cardia to be at a loss, especially when it's to gate guards. For one, Cardia doesn't even want to speak. So it'd be better to have someone as skilled as Lupin to accompany her, rather than someone like Impey, who would most definitely fuck it up. Even if Cardia doesn't talk, Lupin will get them through the inspection perfectly and without any fault.  
  
He introduces himself as nobility, and Cardia as his wife. Surprisingly, she straightens up her posture as best as she can, trying to give off an air of elegance. With a stiff face, she looks down at the guards as if she really was nobility annoyed by the audacity of commoners, and Lupin keeps himself from smiling at her effort. As soon as they're in London, though, her arms wrap themselves around Lupin's own arms, trying to support herself from the stress of getting through that.   
  
A reward is in order, then, Lupin thinks. Careful not to touch her face, Lupin supports the rest of her body, and linking their arms together firmly. He decides to take the scenic route to Saint-Germain's house, wanting to show her some of the beauty of Steel London. The closest thing to the mansion would be Tower Bridge, a 'marvelous mechanism powered by something this and something that!' or, whatever Lupin remembered of that talk.   
  
A steam whistle then rings out, and a steam ship in the distance gets closer to the bridge. Soon after that, a siren rings out on the bridge, and the people currently on it begin to get off as fast as they can. Lupin watches in muted awe as the bridge opens up in a wide arc, but as he looks back to see Cardia's expression, she's kneeling on the ground with her eyes shut tight and ears covered. He quickly bends down to see if she's okay, but as soon as the noises of the whistle and siren stop, she slowly opens her eyes and Lupin realizes that she's scared of loud noises. Impey's automobile whistling in pain and puffing out smoke being was the same, and inside, Lupin berates himself for not realizing sooner.   
  
Even so, Cardia seems to be alright after the fact, standing up like nothing happened. He apologizes, but she only shakes her head in refusal, silently saying it's okay. Lupin, after making sure she really is okay, turns to lead her towards the mansion, but when he checks on her a minute later, she's gone.


	5. iii. jeweled beauty; victor frankenstein

Crap, crap, crap, crap, _shit_.   
  
No, no, Victor didn't swear, he's mild-mannered and docile and—the thought is cut off as another shout of a Royal Guard calls his name in an angry tone. The sight of a very familiar yellow is in his peripheral vision makes him sweat, and he almost lets out a whine as his body heats up again as he starts running. Anyways, yes, Victor might've been a bit stressed, but he didn't swear.   
  
At least the streets of Lower Town were quite confusing, and the shouts get quieter, and he stops to finally take a breath. He figures he's probably in some back alley, looking at the rusted iron of nearby pipes still somehow working and people doing some shady deals even farther in the alley. The Guards weren't in sight, but they weren't so incompetent, so Victor decides to get up off a creaking box to try and go somewhere less public—or even somewhere more public, so he can blend in easily. The adrenaline was wearing his brain down, and while he wanted to rub his legs, Victor rubs his temples instead.  
  
He passes in and out of more alleys, not recognizing a single thing, but going on nonetheless. Trying his best to not get noticed by anyone, he passes through another, until he sees a girl being led by a man, with two more trailing behind. As unfortunate as it was, human trafficking wasn't that uncommon, and while Victor doesn't want to stand out, he goes over quickly to stop the men from doing anything.   
  
The first man goes to rip her top's buttons off, but before he can, and even before Victor can do anything, the girl grabs the man's wrist, dragging it to the side, before she gives a hard kick to his balls. Victor blinks once, twice, and so do the traffickers. The man groans for a second, but his companions quickly snap out of their confusion, taking out knives.  
  
"Cover your nose and mouth, and duck!" Deciding that's the moment, Victor yells and pulls out a concoction that he has on handy, making sure the girl does indeed duck before a smokescreen fills the area. It soon clears up, and only the girl—who's crouching and doing as told—and Victor are left standing. He comes over to her and bends down, whispering gently.  
  
"Open your eyes, slowly, now. You're alright." She does do so, and Victor is met with dark, blue eyes. She takes a quick look around her, seeing her might've-been captors all knocked out. Her eyes meet his, and then towards his outstretched hand. A gloved hand touches Victor's as he helps her up, and he smiles as not to scare her.   
  
"Come out here, Victor Frankenstein! We know you're somewhere around here!" A guard in the distance shouts his name—his full name, one that everybody knows as a wanted terrorist and criminal. The girl most likely knows that he is one, but she doesn't make to move away. Victor sighs, exasperated, but his expression of fatigue is quickly turned into panic and he makes the girl duck again.   
  
"Cardia, I take it?"  
  
It's not the Royal Guard, surprisingly, but Twilight—Britain's secret intelligence agency. Their eerie bird-like mask is distinct, but Victor doesn't have time to question why they're attacking the girl and him, as the soldier comes in with their sword once more. Another one of his concoctions is broken onto the ground, but unlike the traffickers, the soldier doesn't go down easy. If only I could get a break, he thinks, taking out another mixture, and another, desperate to get this girl away from danger.  
  
The soldier quickly disappears into smoke and fades away as Victor leads the girl far away, running with all his might. He was an alchemist, one who studied in libraries, worked in labs—he wasn't made for marathons, and he definitely wasn't any type _close_ to athletics. Thankfully, a street of Midtown shows up in sight, and they make it safely out of that situation (hopefully.)  
  
He sits, out of breath for the next week, and the girl's hand, not the one taken by his, reaches up to pat him on the head. Victor's sure she means to be nice, but it just makes him feel pathetic and pitied. He looks over to find her completely fine, and while it could mean she's just in shape, there's a weird feeling in the back of his head that makes him think it's something... more.  
  
"Hah... I'm... I'm fine now, so don't worry..." Victor stands up, but still is very slightly leaning on the girl for support. "Thank you for your concern, though. Let me formally introduce myself—I'm... sure you know already, but I'm Victor Frankenstein. I'm a former government alchemist. And... well, a wanted criminal. But, I assure you, it's just a false charge!"  
  
She doesn't say anything, but she nods. The bustle of London's streets in the setting sun flow around them as they come to a lull in the conversation, and Victor tries to think of something else to say, since it was obvious the girl wouldn't talk. He remembers the Twilight soldier had called her by her name—Cardia.  
  
"Cardia... right? Uh..." Even though he knows her name, Victor still has no idea what to say, but that nagging feeling comes back to him and his mouths opens before he can think. "Would you let me examine your body?"  
  
A beat.  
  
Victor's face goes on fire a second later, but the girl—Cardia—doesn't seem to mind, and instead nods once more. He himself acknowledges how poor his choice of words were, but at least he seems to be pardoned. Cardia's eyes slightly widen, like she just remembered something, and she pulls a piece of paper out of a pocket. She holds it out to him, and almost uncertainly, he takes it.  
  
"A map...?" It's detailed, but it's simple enough to where anyone could follow it and arrive at the destination safely. Said destination is a house, marked with a red circle. "Is this your house?" It would seem like it, but then again, why would someone need directions to their house? Well, unless they were challenged direction-wise, but Cardia doesn't seem like the type.  
  
Victor looks at her, and she nods. He looks back at the map, then back up. She nods again. Well, at the very least, he'll have a place to stay, which is really a priority right now. He finds a landmark on the map that's closest to them, and when he finds it, he turns around and starts walking.   
  
Something tugs on his sleeve, and he turns back to see Cardia, head down, hanging onto him. Victor finds the sight strangely endearing, and he can't let help but let out a chuckle. He gently pulls her hand away from his sleeve, instead grasping it in his own, firmly. Her eyes snap up to meet his, and a blush paints her face before she looks down again. Victor chuckles once more, and then starts walking to where only God knows what will happen.


	6. iii.i extra; arsène lupin

Goddammnit—how could he let this happen?   
  
It wasn't like Lupin didn't think Cardia couldn't take care of herself. He gave her a map, and it's not like she could get lost, and it's not like she could go into somewhere like Lower Town, right? Right? No matter what happened, he could only wait until she got to Saint-Germain's mansion.  
  
It was getting late, and Lupin couldn't help but wait at the door to the mansion with Impey. He wanted to believe that she would get back soon, but if not, he would have no choice but to go out there and search for her. She disappeared around Tower Bridge, so they'd probably start there, but it was likely that she had already left that area. Hopefully, if that was the case, she'd be following the map and be here soon.  
  
The wanted poster of the terrorist Victor Frankenstein crosses his mind, and Lupin pales, just a bit. He was an alchemist who had been the best of the best, and that meant that he could make very dangerous concoctions if need be. There were already people dead because of him, and if Cardia were to meet him...  
  
"Oi, Lupin, is it me or do you hear the gate opening?"  
  
Impey snaps him out of his worrying—and with good timing, for Impey was correct in hearing that creaky old thing open. Two sets of footsteps, too. One was almost most definitely Cardia, so who was the other person? He motions to Impey to keep quiet, and gently opens the door a bit, quietly enough for the duo outside to not hear. Lupin takes out his special stick, and Impey crouches down in a fighting stance. Almost with no hesitation, the door opens without anybody knocking, and in comes—  
  
"Cardia?!" A frantic voice comes from outside, and from the inside Lupin can see the wanted criminal outside. He looks worried, and Lupin can understand instantly why. It's good for Cardia to be bold, but it might not be the best idea to just waltz into something that could be very dangerous. Nonetheless, Lupin grabs Frankenstein and pulls him in the mansion, telling him to raise his hands.   
  
He instantly complies, and Impey comes up behind him, just in case. Both for an emergency, and as a threat. To be completely honest, even Impey could best this man in a fight, but he's wanted for a reason, and Lupin doesn't want to make any chances.  
  
"You're that wanted criminal, Victor Frankenstein, right? What have you done to her? Choose your answer carefully, or you won't like how we react."  
  
"Did you do... anything with her?! You lucky son of a—I mean, you bastard!"  
  
"First, you're going to return our precious treasure—" Lupin glares into Frankenstein's eyes, wanting to intimidate him, but in a flash their eye contact is broken and Frankenstein's face goes out of view. He's startled for a bit, but his eyes move downwards, and from what the scene is now, he can guess what transpired.  
  
Frankenstein has fallen backwards onto his knees, and Cardia, who moved behind him, puts her leg back down on the floor. Impey bursts out laughing, laughing at the man who just got the back of his knees kicked. Lupin sighs, and looks over at Cardia. She clearly has 'See? He's not a threat,' all over her face, even though it's still mostly blank.   
  
"Gah..." Lupin holds out a hand to help Frankenstein up, and he gratefully takes it. "T—Thank you..."  
  
"Well, we know you couldn't best Cardia, at least."   
  
"That's for sure!" Impey's holding his stomach in the background, and Victor looks awfully tired.   
  
"Let me introduce myself. The name's Arsène Lupin, greatest thief of the 19th century. Nice to meet you,"  
  
"And I'm Impey Barbicane! The man who will one day go to the moon! Good to meet you!"  
  
"Victor Frankenstein. I know I'm wanted, but they're all false charges." Lupin nods.   
  
"After seeing _that_ , I'm sure they are. By the way, you're one of the best alchemists out there, yes? Would you mind helping us with something?"  
  
"Only if you'll let me stay here."  
  
Lupin smirks, and holds out his hand. "It's a deal, then."


	7. iv. target; saint-germain

The clink of a teacup onto saucer echoes out throughout the room, as its holder drinks the rest of the tea in there. The room was quiet otherwise, the conversation lulled to a stop. This was how this room usually was, a calm, quiet place, but one that was very lonely.  
  
"Are you sure you don't want some tea before you go, Guinevere?"  
  
She doesn't respond back, only giving a huff before leaving the room silently. As usual, she's unsociable, and barely talks to him outside of reports and warnings. Saint-Germain smiles wryly, giving out a dry chuckle as he watches the door close behind the knight.  
  
Guinevere had come to check up on their target this time: a girl with poisonous skin that needed to be put down. Even though Lupin had brought her in his own mansion tonight, he had yet to meet her directly. From the sound of it, she was bold, but shy when it came to other people. And bad with loud noises—Lupin made sure that Saint-Germain knew this, so he was careful to be quieter when she was around.  
  
Regardless, she seemed very interesting, and while Saint-Germain knew better than to get close, he was wondering what their daily lives would be like from now on. He wished that, at least at the end of her life, she would get to be happy. The days to come would surely be lively, and full of warmth. He had gathered most of the fated crew, and if everything goes right, another fated person shall join tomorrow.  
  
Arsène Lupin, the notorious gentleman thief.  
  
Impey Barbicane, the genius engineer.  
  
Victor Frankenstein, the former Royal Alchemist.  
  
Abraham Van Helsing, the hero of the Vampire War.  
  
Delacroix II, the heir to vampire line.  
  
And Cardia Beckford—the middle of this calamity, the cursed daughter, a pitiful doll...  
  
The girl surely wasn't to blame. But even if she is completely innocent in all this, it's not good enough for Idea. Soon, she shall lose her life, along with her younger brother, to save this world from despair. Isaac Beckford's plan to overthrow God and make life anew must be stopped, and the easiest way is to kill both children. Sad, but majority over minority.   
  
The door to Saint-Germain's room opens slowly, and it reminds him he needs to oil it, as it creaks and the shadow of a girl walks in. The moonlight shines down as she comes in further, illuminating her hair and face. As Lupin had told him, she was quite beautiful, but looked very sad. It wasn't as if he didn't understand already, but now, when he sees her, Saint-Germain can understand why Lupin had took her from her closed birdcage.  
  
"Good evening, beautiful lady. What are you doing up so late at night?"  
  
She doesn't seem surprised at his sudden appearance, instead slowly turning to him with muted interest in her eyes. She respond to his question, and it almost reminds him of Guinevere, and a bitter smile makes its way on his face. Well, Guinevere is Guinevere, in all her serious and work-focused ways, and Cardia is Cardia, who merely is a bit too scared to speak. Of course, Lupin had already told him about her silence, and merely continues.  
  
"You must be the new tenant. Lupin told me all about you. My name is Saint-Germain. I am honored by the title of count in France. However... for the moment, I have the whimsical position as master of this estate."  
  
Once more, she doesn't talk, but bows her head slightly, accepting his introduction. She doesn't seem frightened. There wouldn't be too good of a reason for her to be, except for him popping out of nowhere, but it still surprises Saint-Germain just a bit. His practiced smile nearly drops, and a weird feeling of interest bubbles up in his chest.  
  
He wonders, just for a second, if she would be frightened if she knew of his mission. Would she be trembling? Would she be scared? Would she run, would she hide? She looks like a human, but she is a monster with skin that can melt through anything. Saint-Germain sighs, very quietly. No, I'm sure... she _is_ human, just cursed. Unfairly made under a cruel creator. It might be true to call her a monster, but it is unfair.  
  
"I warmly welcome you, Miss Cardia." She flashes an awkward smile, and Saint-Germain chuckles. "You're quite cute, aren't you? I hope we get along well." He walks over to her, placing a hand on her hair, a place where he can touch without melting. She subconsciously pushes into the palm of his hand, and he chuckles once more. "It is quite late, you should get to bed, now. I'll see you in the morning."  
  
Cardia shows another small, but a more genuine, smile towards him, and quickly turns away to the door. She opens it, but before she leaves, she looks back, and waves. Saint-Germain waves back, smiling until the door closes shut and her footsteps fade down the corridor.   
  
"I wish you a peaceful sleep, and good dreams."  
  
The next two hours flow on like they usually do for him—slow, calm, and quiet. It's been like this for a while. Though Lupin and Impey have joined the mansion, and so have Victor and Cardia, the silence of the night seep in without any regard.   
  
Until, a mournful cry echoes out.  
  
It comes from the direction of Lupin's old room, which now serves as Cardia's room. Saint-Germain hadn't planned on sleeping anyways, so he gets up, and with a quickened pace, heads towards the source. He probably won't admit it to anyone, himself included, but he's worried. Maybe something happened to Cardia? It couldn't have been Idea, not yet. Twilight shouldn't be aware of this place, either...  
  
Without knocking, Saint-Germain opens the door in a hurry, only to find Cardia sitting up in bed alone. She is indeed the one crying, but next to her is a burned pillow, and Saint-Germain figures out the situation quickly—she turned in her sleep, burned the pillow, and is now upset. Her cries remind him of a string too tightly strung and now has snapped because of the stress, and he walks over to her and engulfs her in an embrace, carefully not to touch her skin or her tears.   
  
"It's alright, there are other ones you can use instead, don't cry," Soft whispers come out of his mouth, and his hands run down her hair gently. Eventually, her sobs subside, and now only sniffles fill the room. Saint-Germain takes the burnt pillow, placing it out of sight, and then gently laying the girl down. He holds her hand and continues to stroke her hair until she's sleepy. Cardia's eyelids slowly close, but she doesn't fall asleep.  
  
"In a kingdom, far, far away, there lived a very popular and loved princess..."   
  
Saint-Germain's bedtime story continues on and on, and soon, her chest only rises slowly, her breath coming out steadily. Only does he get up when he is sure she won't wake up, framing her hair around her face. He doesn't leave the room, instead merely staring at her peaceful sleeping face. He furrows his eyebrows, frowning slightly. Then, a truth weighs down on his heart—Saint-Germain will not be able to kill this girl.


	8. iv.i extra; victor frankenstein

When Cardia and Lupin walk into Victor's room for some light tests, Lupin's arm is around her shoulders, holding her softly. Her eyes are slightly red and puffy, and it seems like she's been crying. Hence Lupin's comforting, Victor assumes, and he decides to hold off on the examination for a few minutes. 

"Is it possible for you to make an anti-poison?" Lupin asks, and even before the examination, Victor nods. Maybe it's because he's just going along with the flow, or maybe he just genuinely wants to do something about it, no matter the cost. Either way, he still doesn't exactly know what's going on, but Victor knows he definitely doesn't want to see Cardia sad.

The rest of morning goes quite smoothly, and while Cardia seems to be her usual impassive self, he can tell she's secretly embarrassed about the whole caught crying ordeal. Still, no one seems to comment on it, and she perks up at the smell and taste of Impey's breakfast. Victor doesn't like to be rude, but he's surprised that Impey is a good cook, and makes some of the best food he's ever had. 

Victor also meets the owner of the mansion—Saint-Germain—and while he's quite mysterious and his name sounds familiar, he's a nice guy. He's religious, too, and while they aren't, Lupin, Impey, and even Cardia, follow along with his morning prayer easily. Nice, mysterious, weird. Not like Victor is one to talk, seeing as everybody at the dinner table this morning is weird. 

And then there's the dog, Sisi, who bit Impey and cuddled up to Cardia before eating his own breakfast. He's quite the cutie, with a mechanical leg and coloration in the shape of a heart on his butt. 

Then the stairs come in. God, the stairs. Lupin wanted to take Cardia to a doctor, and while Victor knew what the end result would be ultimately, he wanted a medical professional's opinion. Maybe he should've told the other guys that Cardia didn't have a heartbeat, and that the Horologium was what a human's heart would be. That is a cruel truth, though, even if it could've spared him a marathon in stairs.

Fortunately, the general mood didn't seem to change, even after the doctor gave them her diagnosis, and it gets even better since Lupin decided to take them to a casino. Of course, Victor wasn't one for gambling, but they did have food stalls, and Cardia even wanted to go take a walk around with him, sampling the food they had around.

"Can I leave already?" Impey asks once they all meet back up again, and in the distance, Victor can see security guards looking around for someone. Somehow, he gets an idea of what Impey did, but he asks anyways, and then gets interrupted by more guards shouting—and someone shooting.

He looks over to where the commotion is, and sees people on the ground and others scream and try to run away. A man is standing there in the middle, with two very intimidating shotguns, and a mean look in his eye. He's quite familiar to Victor, but before he can remember the man's name, the gunman is behind Lupin, who is shielding Cardia.

"...'Go?' Do you really think you can escape from me? —Arsène Lupin."


	9. v. search; abraham van helsing

Get in, get out.  
  
Secure the monster—or at the very least, information about it—and get the hell out. Easy, quick, simple. Arsène Lupin might've been a world renowned thief, who has never once been caught in his life before, but up against the human weapon? Child's play to cut down. A simple cutpurse wouldn't be an obstacle—especially when he was just one stepping stone to Van's ultimate goal.   
  
The casino venue is lively, as expected, but he doesn't stop to enjoy the pleasantries they have set up. After all he's done, he doesn't deserve much happiness. If this was two, three years ago, then maybe he would've gone around the stalls with his younger brother. But now, his only objective was to get the monster he was after out of here, and into his hands.   
  
A monster, with cursed flesh that could melt anything it touched. Sure, it sounded absurd, but then again Van's target was one who was immortal. Nothing could be too outlandish if it got him closer to Finis, anyways.   
  
The security guards were shot down quickly by Van's shotguns, rendering them unconscious and out of his way. The surrounding people, and even others far away, run in a panic at the sound of gunshots. Everything is a bit messy now, but it shouldn't be too hard to find Lupin. And it really isn't, since Lupin and what seems to be some of his crew are standing somewhere near the entrance.   
  
He's crouching on the ground, covering a girl from whatever threat he might think it is. No matter to Van, immediately placing the barrel of one of his guns against Lupin's head. After a brief exchange, Lupin tries to resist, and soon after, someone familiar throws a mixture at him. Both were in vain, but the distraction was enough to allow his target to get away.   
  
Van was used to the chase, though. Wherever they might go, he could very easily follow. There was a forest nearby the venue, and it's the best choice if you need to get away from here in a pinch—which was where Van was planning on them going. He also expected resistance, of course, having easily shot down that red-haired idiot.  
  
What he didn't expect, however, was for someone stupid enough to really fight him with all they could.  
  
Van turned to knock the rock out of the incoming girl's hands, which was successful. But with surprising reflex, she grabbed the barrel of his shotgun, bringing it towards her with all the might she could muster. It caught him off guard, and with her other hand, she reached up to punch him. Eyes widening, Van's body subconsciously moves itself out of the way of her fist, but she doesn't let go of his shotgun.   
  
He took his other shotgun and went to hit her head, but she turns her head so that it hit her cheek instead. Intentional, he assumes, because his shotgun immediately starts to melt, and the girl presses her cheek into to try and disable it through the pain. Her hand reaches up and grabs Van's hair in his surprise, and her other hand letting go, coming up, and slapping his glasses off his face. They go flying off, and he knows he's at a disadvantage, despite all his training and her inexperience.   
  
She jumps back, not before grabbing his glasses, and taking a (quite sloppy) defensive stance. Van lets out a sharp breath, raising his shotguns. He doesn't intend to let himself lose, not here, not now, not to an amateur. The sizzling of his still melting gun rings in his ears, but it's quickly drowned out by running footsteps behind him. Shit—he still has Lupin and his crew to deal with, and it's clear they saw their chance to deal with him while he was preoccupied.  
  
The world before him is one big blur, and between the dark red, green, and orange coming at him, it's surprisingly hard to focus. He has to rely on his hearing, but as expected of an infamous gentleman thief, Lupin's footsteps are quiet and hard to hear. It's easy enough to know where Victor Frankenstein and the dolt is, but as aforementioned alchemist breaks one of his concoctions, Lupin moves out of Van's sight and sound easily. He can tell one of his shotguns is already malfunctioning from the girl's poison, and while he can definitely use martial arts, Van is in a panic. He can't see, there's smoke everywhere, and that girl caught him way off guard.  
  
Be calm. There's only four, and any one of them you can easily beat. Van takes a deep breath, and listens closely. Watches closely for anything strange in the now starting to clear smokescreen. His non-melting shotgun aims at a spot, and as the smoke clears, the barrel ends up pointing at Lupin. The thief's eyes widen as Van pulls the trigger, and he can tell everyone else isn't able to do anything about it. However, he doesn't go down. Van's shotgun misfires—and Lupin smiles as he holds up balls he got from the casino venue.  
  
Now both of his shotguns don't work anymore, at least until he can get them fixed, but that time is not now. Van sighs, and reluctantly puts down his guns. It's his loss—it's clear as day to anyone there. Even if he were to resist, he would be at a disadvantage if they decided to run from him. The four in front of him visibly relax, and Victor steps forward.  
  
"Van, cooperate with us."  
  
"...Fine." At this point, he doesn't have too much of a choice. Of course, he could just continue to work alone, but it'd be faster to work with them, they who have information he needs.  
  
"I guess we should introduce ourselves then!" The idiot with the braid steps forward with a broad, toothy grin. "I'm Impey Barbicane, the genius engineer who will one day make—"  
  
"Not interested." Van quickly cuts him off, looking over to the girl, who's cheek is now red and somewhat swollen from his earlier attack. He knows the other three, but who she is remains a complete mystery. There's only two reasons she would hide from him—for a surprise attack, or to be protected out of sight. She was clearly inexperienced, so he's quite sure it's the latter. But if so, then why? It could've been that she was just a fling of Lupin's who got caught up into this mess, but he could've left her at the casino. Therefore, she was one of Lupin's crew.   
  
Thinking of Lupin's recent heist, the most likely possibility was that this girl was the monster that Van was looking for.  
  
"What's your name?" His question is flat, but somewhat harsh, as he points it at the girl. She jumps slightly at his tone, not expecting him to talk to her. She doesn't say anything, instead looking to Lupin for help. He gives a wry smile, and turns to look at Van.  
  
"It's Cardia. Cardia Beckford."  
  
"Beckford...?" Van's in momentary shock for the second time of this day, and he stares at the girl as if he'd figure out everything by doing so. "Isaac Beckford's daughter?" If that was true, then maybe she'd be connected to his target, Finis. All the more reason to pair up with these misfits, Van decides, and huffs. "Where's your hideout? Lead the way."  
  
"Ah, you're so demanding, you trigger-happy glasses-wearing brute! You should try being nice, like yours truly—"  
  
"It's a bit of a long walk, but if you will accompany me, it's this way." Lupin smiles a charming smile, cutting off Impey and pointing over so Van knows the direction of the hideout. "Try not to be surprised when you see it!"  
  
"Uh, excuse me?! Can I speak?!"  
  
"Aha...ha... Don't worry, Impey. I'm sure they don't mean anything by it!" The voices of Impey and Victor get a little quieter as Van follows Lupin out of the forest. The girl—Cardia—quickly runs over to Lupin's side and grabbing his sleeve, not before making a quick glance at Van.  
  
The walk to the hideout is uneventful, and if he were to be honest, annoying. Impey was grating to his ears, and Van couldn't help but snap a few retorts at him now and then. (He wouldn't dare admit they weren't in malice, though.) Eventually, trees open up into a clearing, and a huge mansion appears right before his eyes.  
  
Lupin leads him in, and inside the mansion is a plethora of paintings and vases and other works of art. They're everywhere, and Van looks over to the thief suspiciously. He wryly smiles and shrugs his shoulders, saying 'they're not mine.'  
  
Van doesn't believe him, but then the air in the room freezes ever so slightly for just a second. Someone—someone who is relatively strong—was watching his move. Van quickly snaps his head up to the top of the stairs, and he sees a man smiling softly at the group that had just come in.  
  
"Welcome back, everyone. Oh, is that a new face I see? Nice to meet you, I'm the owner of this mansion, Count Saint-Germain." He holds his hand out, and Van reluctantly takes it. From the way the Count shakes his hand, and just from the way he holds himself, Van can tell this man is considerably powerful.  
  
"Van Helsing. Sorry to intrude."  
  
"It's not a problem at all, Van. I'm happy to have you." His smile is serene, and Van can't feel any malice from him, yet he still has him on edge. "I thought everyone might be returning at this hour, so I took the liberty of cooking dinner myself, if you don't mind, Impey. Please, come in and sit down at the table."  
  
"Oh? Sainty-G's cooking? That I don't mind at all! Don't mind if I do!" Impey shakes his head as if to say it's okay, and smiles widely, heading to the dining room. Lupin and Victor start to follow behind him, but stop as the Count lets out a soft, light gasp.  
  
"Miss Cardia, are you alright? Your cheek is all swollen," Rushing up to her with a still elegant pace, Saint-Germain leans in to get a closer look. Her arms automatically go to grab both of his sleeves, holding on tight for reassurance. "Does it hurt?"  
  
"Ah, that's right! We need to look at it before it gets worse," Victor says, and heads back towards the pair. Cardia's head hangs low, bangs falling in front of her eyes. "C—Cardia? Are you okay?" Everyone starts to crowd around her, but before anybody can say anything else, she suddenly lifts her head up, eyes full of tears.  
  
"Waaaaaaah!" Every emotion that she's been keeping up inside bursts out all at once, and while being aware of her poison, she leans in as close as she can to Saint-Germain for comfort. "I got hit, and, and, it really hurts...! San-chan...!"  
  
"S—San-chan?"  
  
"There, there, Miss Cardia. I'm sure it must sting a lot. It'll be okay, we'll get you fixed up and healed," Saint-Germain takes notice of the strange nickname he's given, merely patting the girl's head with all the gentleness in the world.   
  
Despite her crying and wailing, the others seem to be relieved, Van Helsing notices. If earlier was anything to go off, Cardia was the silent type, and hadn't even talked yet. Until now, that is. Realizing this, even Van Helsing can't help a small, tiny smile from coming up on his face. What a weird bunch, he thinks, but he can't say anything more for he's also weird. Though he wouldn't admit it, Van Helsing is looking forward to the days that are coming.


	10. v.i extra; cake

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *dies*

"Hmm..." Victor hums softly, brows knit in slight confusion.  
  
"Oh? Something wrong, Doc?"  
  
"D—Doc? Please, Impey, I'm nothing of the sort. But back to the topic at hand," Victor smiles wryly, looking at Impey, then back to Cardia awkwardly. "I want to help with the swelling, but... I don't actually have a decent way of doing so."  
  
"Eh? Seriously?"  
  
"Well, I examined her only just today, so I barely have any, if at all, progress on anything anti-poison. Without an anti-poison garnish, I can't even put ice up to her cheek to cool it down." He explains, frowning. Impey nods, frowning as well, wondering if there was anything they could do.  
  
"It... It's okay, OFran. It'll go away even if we don't do anything, so you don't have to worry about it..."  
  
"OFran...? Ahaha, I feel like these nicknames are getting weirder... A—Anyways, Cardia, it's okay, I don't mind! I'll find a way to make sure it feels better." Victor gets up from the chair in front of her, and over to his desk where all his tools are laying. Some of the usual are missing, having been melted this morning for experimentation, but there are still enough to get by. They're quite interesting looking, too, Impey notes.   
  
"While Victor's working on whatever he's doing, why don't I make you some dessert, Cardia?"  
  
"Huh? D—Dessert? Would... would you be willing to do that for me?" Cardia's voice is still quiet, but Impey hears it all too well. He smiles widely, showing a toothy grin at her.  
  
"Of course! Only the best for the best!" She hesitantly looks over at Victor, and he nods, smiling softly at her as well.  
  
"Go ahead. It'll take me some more time to think of a varnish I can use, so go get something sweet in you."  
  
"Alright then... S—See you later, OFran," She says, getting up a bit nervously, waving a hand in goodbye before leaving his room with Impey.   
  
"How about some cake?" It's a bit of a walk to the kitchen, so Impey decides to speak up. His legs are longer, and he's used to walking at a quick pace, but just for now, he walks by her side. "Or pie? A cobbler, perhaps?"  
  
"Chocolate cake..."  
  
"Oho, good tastes, Cardia! That should be a piece of cake for this genius chef!"  
  
"I thought you were the genius engineer..."  
  
"W—Well, that too. It's only natural I'd be a genius in everything!" Impey looks back and winks, sending a somewhat charming smile at the girl. Cardia's stare is blank, and Impey decides to shut up. Or, he usually would, but now that Cardia has decided to talk, he wants to ask her so many questions.  
  
"Are you a fan of chocolate?" Surprisingly, that's the first he asks. It's not the most interesting question, sure, but it's a good starter in this situation. Probably.  
  
"Yeah," Cardia responds with that, and Impey nods his head.  
  
"Are you a fan of sweets in general?"  
  
"Yeah," The same answer. "...If it wasn't so bad for the body, then I'd eat them all the time, I think."  
  
"Ha...haha! They are really good, aren't they? Once you taste my sweets, they'll be all you want!"  
  
"I'll be looking forward to the cake, then," Impey can hear her smile in her voice, and he turns his head to look at it. It's small, but it's genuine, and his steps get just a little bit faster. If not by habit, then to hurry to get the girl her sweets.  
  
————  
  
The smell of chocolate and freshly baked cake swarms throughout the halls of Saint-Germain's mansion. Though it's getting late, the residents get up and flock to the source of the smell. Unsurprisingly, it's coming from the kitchen, and surprisingly, it's from Impey.  
  
When Van Helsing comes into the kitchen, Cardia is standing nearby as she watches him ice the cake with frosting. It's a simple two-layered cake, but already is it looking fancy as all hell. There's fresh strawberries lining it, with extra, more decorative melted dark chocolate. There's small dollops of whipped cream on them, and Impey is writing the girl's name on the top like it's a birthday cake.  
  
Saint-Germain is here as well, carving up more strawberries expertly and showing them off to Cardia, much to her excitement. Once he shows off the initial shape, he hands it over to Lupin, who's placing them in a special strawberry bouquet. It's a bit weird, but endearing, and once Van Helsing sees Cardia smile, he can't help but let a small one of his own pop up.  
  
Eventually, after the cake is cut (by Van Helsing, voluntarily), Victor comes in a bit winded. He lets out a gentle smile, and grabs a fork and dresses it in some foreign liquid. There's a bunch of it on the silverware, but it quickly dries, and Victor takes a piece of Cardia's cake and feeds it to her. To the delight of everybody, the fork doesn't melt in her mouth, and the smile she wears is the brightest anyone's ever seen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *dies again*


End file.
